This unique piece of furniture is a collaboration with Jason Breen, a master woodworker in Brattleboro, Vermont. This piece was part of the exhibit, "Guild of Vermont Furniture Makers: Evolving Traditions" at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (2022).

Jason's Statement -- Several years ago at the Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center, a beloved apple tree fell down due to an overabundance of fruit.  Fearing the large tree would be cut into firewood, I asked if I could take the wood to create something beautiful, maybe to help raise funds for the center. When BMAC approached the Guild, I knew this was the time to use the wood.

The base and frames are all wood from this apple tree. The dome, envisioned as half globe - half sorcerer's orb, is spalted maple - sugar maple that has begun to rot.  The black lines are like boundaries set up by fungal communities as they colonize the wood. These have always seemed like lines on a map to me, thus its inclusion here.  However, my work has increasingly incorporated lesser-known woods and waste products. Spalted maple and apple have been used in limited amounts over the years.  However, these are not generally commercially available. 

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In thinking about how to collaborate, I was looking into artists whose work also called attention to the Earth and nature. Margaret's recent paintings featured the herbs and plants of the seasons in Mandala-like arrangements, as well as the close-ups of flowers in the field, suggested the circle of the year motif divided into the eight corners of the year : Solstice, Equinox, and the midways between each.  

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This piece is available for purchase. For more information contact Jason Breen.